Turbine governor-valve



B. B. LACY.

TUHBINE GOVERNOR VALVE.V

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT.13. 1919. 1,397,812, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. B.'LACY. y

TURBINE GOVERNOR VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.I3. |919.

1,397,812, Patented N0v.22

2 SiLETS-SHEETA 7 0J N N Il "e V m I V A V SP1/U en/jam n lilac?,

UNITED STATES Para ,T FCE.

TUB/BIN E GOVERNOR-VALVE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September i3, 1919. Serial No. 323,565.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. LACY, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Houston, in the county of Harris, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine Governor- Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a governor valve construction which is especially applicable to steam turbines, in which connection it is employed for controlling the effective port area of the steam inlet openmg.

- The object of the invention is to improve the construction and operation of turbine lgovernor valves, to which erich one feature of the invention consists in providing novel means by which the valve may be adjusted or regulated without removal from its housing, and also while the turbine is in operation. Another feature consists of anarrangement whereby the effective port area of the inlet opening may be positively controlled; to which end, primary and auxiliary controlling means are provided and so arranged that should the primary control fail toy function, the auxiliary means will be automatically brought into use.

Further objects will appear upon reference to the Vfollowing description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical sectional view ofa turbine, illustrating the application of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the valve and its associated parts;

Fig. 3 is across-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. L is an enlarged horizontal sectional View of the valve adjusting means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the general construction and operation of the turbine with the valve arrangement will be irst described. However, the turbine shown should not be construed as the only type to which the valve arrangement is applicable, but rather as an illustration of its use and novel features. A represents the turbine casing, which maybe divided into two main parts a and a. A shaft B extends through thev packing gland b of the casing, with its opposite end journaled in a suitable bearing, confined in the hub b2; a nut b3,

ber provided by the casing, and thence outy the exhaust c3. Mounted on the shaft B coaxially with the wheel C is a slidable governing element D, the sliding movement of which is normally opposed by a spring-tensioning device E connected to the governing element by the rods e, an adjusting screw c being employed to increase or decrease the tension of the spring. Fivoted to and carried by one part of the casing is a governor lever F, one end ofA which having yoke 7 engaging an abutment ring 7' bearing against the governing element l). and

the other end of thek lever having' an adjustable contact with the headed or flanged Vend 5 of the valve stem 6 carrying. the balanced plunger 7, the plunger being positioned to control the effective port area of the inlet c. It will Vtherefore be observed that the centrifugal force produced by the wheel will slide the governing element D longitudinally move the plunger to a position inr which the inlet will be restricted, consequently decreasing the amount of steam acting upon the wheel. As the governor and the adjustable contact of the lever with the valve stem will have been regulated or adjusted to determine the proper functioning of the valve, the speed of the wheel will be thus determined. f

The general arrangement so far described is covered by my pending application, filed August 15, yi191?, Serial No. 186,408. The present improvement consists of a novel arrangement of the valve and its associated parts. Therefore, attention is directed particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, in which the valve is shown as confined within a cylindrical part 8 ofthe casing A, andcomprising an Youter shell or housing 9, having' an opening 9 registering with the inlet'c and ter- Patented Nov. 22,1921. Y

through the lever u minating in a seat 92 for the beveled end of the plunger 7. At this point the opening 9 communicates with the chamber 93 immediately surrounding the plunger 7, and in which the plunger is balanced by the bypass 95. The channel c2, heretofore ldescribed, has a normal communication withV outer end oi" the shell 9, and with its opposite end passing through a bore in the other Vend ot the shell 9, and kprotruding therefrom with the headed or flanged end 5 heretofore mentioned. A suitable spring 10 is confined around theV reduced end 96 oi the shell, with one end bearing against the head 5 and its opposite end bearing against a shoulder 9T on the shell. The spring 10 pertorms a dual purpose; first of all, its normal tendency is to retract the plunger of the valve `from the seat 92 and thus leave an unobstructed passage'ior the steam, however, vshould the speed ot the wheel C become excessive, the governing lever F,through its Contact withthe headed end 5 of the stem, will act to slide the plunger toward its seat 92, and thus restrict the inlet or steam. lt is extremely desirable to effect the proper adjustment of the contact oithe leverV F with the valve stem5 and to make such adi 'Justnents yas may `be necessary while the turbine is in operation. Therefore, the adinstable' contact oi the lever with the valve having a threaded engagement inan opening made to receive it, in the bii'urcated end 12 olf the lever, andwith its endf11 extend- 'through the openingand in Contact with headed end 5 of the valve stern. lt will th rotore be seen that by turning the set screw anti-clockwise the distance between the end 12 ot the lever andthe valve will be decreased, thusV giving the ,lever a wider range of movement and compelling the slidable governing element D to incur a wider or ltr-ngerv movement on the shaft beforeit will act upon or bear against the yoke /f and impart theV controlling V ei-lect to the valve tliroughthe lever'.` ln otherwords, by unscrewing the l screw'll, the wheel must rotate at a faster speedto produce the governing effect were turned up or in a clockwise direction. rllo'maintain the proper adjustment oi the tree to work in the bore 72 produced in the stem preferably comprises a set screw 11 seated than it wouldA it the set screwV set screw, the biurcated end `oi the lever is provided with a set screw 12, which acts upon the bifurcation in a manner to increase the friction of the threads of the set screw 11 with the threads in the opening As stated, it is lel fingers 111', adapted to overlie opposite sides ot the T-shaped end 112 of the set screw 11. The opening in the plug 13 which receives the member '111, is made of a size to insure a4 tight lit with the shank of the member to prevent escape of steam from the casing when any adjustment is made. rl`heouter end ci' the member is provided with a head 142, which is conned within a recess 13 in the plug 13, and the head is provided with Va slotted opening 143, adapted to receive the pointed end of a tool, whereby the member may be rotated to impart the necessary clockwise or anti-clockwise movement to the set screw 11. The

recess 13 is provided with a cover,compris ing a'screw plate 132. lt will thus be seen that by removing the cover 132, the necessary adjustment of the valve may be had while the turbine is operating.

vThere is still another important feature in `connectimn with the valve construction, and

it relates tothe construction of the shell 9, by which positive control oi" the effective port area of the inlet opening is accomplished. Sliouldffor any reason the plunger or thev parts of the valve so tar described, fail to properly unction andY control the inlet porn-which willusually bring about racing ot the impulse. wheel, the shell 9, having longitudinal sliding movement, will 'operate to eit ier restrict or completely close the communication between the channel c2 and the openingV 94. Thisisfbrought about by the following constructionzfllhe shell is balanced between the aforesaid spring 10 on one end, and by similar spring 15 on its other end. The spring 15 isseated in a hollow portion of the removable part 15 of the with its Voppositeend surrounding a reduced cylindrical extension 152 of the shell. The tendency of this spring 15 `is to maintain the shell in its normal position; that is to say, with its rounded shoulders 153 against the annular lange on the r end of the cylindrical part Elfoi" the "and with the opening 94 registering 'the channel c2. lhile, Vof course, the

ning 10 has some influence over the shell 19 and to a 'slight degree tends toshift the shell longitudinally, the eilect of the spring 15 is suiicient' to overcome Vthis tendency.'V

rEhen/again, the tension of the spring 10, in

acting upon the plunger 7, also overcomes any inclination to normally move the shell. In the event that the plunger fails to properly function and produce the necessary controlling effect, the increased pressure of the adjustable contact of the lever F with the headed end 5 of the valve stem 6, caused by racing of the impulse wheel, will so affect the spring l0 that with this increased leverage pressure it will overcome the tendency of the spring 15 and slide the shell outwardly, according to the pressure force of the lever, and either restrict or completely close the communication between the channel c2 and the opening 94. As soon as the area of the communication between the channel c2 and the opening 94 has been restricted, the effective port area of the inlet will have been controlled in a manner to decrease the speed of the wheel. A pin 16, carried by the part l5 of the casing, extends longitudinally of the shell, with its end terminating in a recess 16. This pin is adapted to limit the extreme outward movement of the shell when acted upon by the governing device.

From the above it will be seen that not only is the valve capable of ordinarily affecting the port area of the inlet opening, but should something unforeseen happen it will automatically act to positively control the inlet of steam.

Claims.

l. A governor valve for turbines, embodying in its construction a plunger adapted to control the effective port area of the turbine inlet, and means independent of said plunger adapted to automatically regulate the effective port area of said inlet should said plunger fail to function.

2. A governor valve for turbines, embodying in its construction means for controlling the effective port area of the turbine inlet, and auxiliary means for automatically regulating the effective port area of said inlet should said rst means fail to function.

3. A governor valve such as set forth in claim 2, in which both of said means are influenced by the speed of the impulse wheel of the turbine.

4. A governor valve such asset forth in claim 2, in combination with a lever in the turbine casing, one end of said lever being in contact with said valve, and a governing device actuated by the impulse wheel of the turbine for engagement with the other end of thel lever.

5. A governor valve for turbines, having a stem, a plunger carried by the stem, a shell surrounding the plunger, and a tensioning device connecting the shell with the stem, said stem adapted to actuate said plunger to control the effective port area of the turbine inlet and further actuate said shell to control the effective port area of said inlet should said plunger fail to function.

6. A governor valve for turbines as set forth in claim 5, in combination with a lever in the turbine casing, one end of said lever in contact with said stem, and a governing device actuated by the impulse wheel of the turbine for engagement with the other end of the lever. i

7 A governor valve for turbines, comprising a stem, a plunger carried by the stem, adapted to control the effective port area of the turbine inlet, a shell surrounding the plunger for also controlling the effective port area of said inlet, a spring tensioning device normally maintaining said plunger inactive and connecting the shell to the stem, and a spring normally maintaining the shell inactive, said shell adapted to be moved into active position only should said plunger fail to function.

8. A governor valve Vfor turbines as set forth in claim 7, in combination with a lever in the turbine casing, one end of the lever in contact with said stem, and means for adjusting said contact, comprising means carried by the lever adapted to increase or decrease the distance between the lever and the stem, and a governing device actuated by ther impulse wheel of the turbine for engagement with the other end of the lever.

9. A governor valve for turbines as set forth in claim 7, in combination with a lever in the turbine casing, one end of the lever in contact with said stem, means for adjusting said contact7 comprising means carried by the lever adapted to increase or decrease the distance between the lever and the stem, a governing device actuated by the impulse wheel of the turbine for engagement with the other end of the lever, and means protruding through the turbine casing and engaged by said contact adjusting means.

A10. A governor valve for turbinesA as set forth in claim 7, in combination with a lever in the turbine casing, one end of the lever in contact with said stem, means for adjusting said contact7 comprising means carried by the lever adapted to increase or decrease the distance between the lever and the stem, a governing device actuated by the impulse wheel of the Vturbine for engagement with the other end of the lever, and means protruding through the turbine casing andengaged by said contact adjusting means, said contact adjusting means comprising a set screw carriedby the lever, with its end in contact with said stem, a winged head on said screw, and a forked turning device engaged by said head and protruding through the turbine casingENJAMIN B. LACY. 

